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There was a previous topic on this subject in which I confessed my use of rather mundale ingredients.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry PratchettMy blog:Books,Cooks,Gadgets&Gardening

I agree with you 100% There are some "convenience" foods that are worth using because they enable you to do other things with more flair.
I often have people ask me for my recipe for Mac 'n Cheese. I unabashadly tell them my "secret".
First I cook the Creamettes brand elbow macaroni, if that is not available then it is Barilla.
It is then cooked aldente, then drained, tossed back in the pot with butter and a can (or two, depending on the amount of macaroni) of Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, undiluted.
Stir, pour in a casserole, sprinkle the top with parmesan or asiago, freshly grated and run under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
It is alway creamy, never gets gummy or hard and tastes good.
If we want spicy it is the Nacho Soup I use.
In the meantime, I have baked bread from scratch, cooked fresh mushrooms, onions, tomato and squash, grilled chops or steaks and prepared a killer dessert.
The mac and cheese takes 15 minutes, tops.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry PratchettMy blog:Books,Cooks,Gadgets&Gardening

I make the John Thorne inspired, Cooks Illustrated stovetop version, except that I use Monterey Jack for its melting qualities and aged Gouda for flavor. If I don't have aged Gouda, I use really really sharp cheddar.

If you don't know this version, it calls for evaporated milk. My best ever incarnation of the dish occurred when I used leftover evaporated milk that I'd stored in a jar that previously contained smoked mustard. The milk took on this ethereal subtle smoky flavor from the jar that imbued the whole dish. (I just found some more of the mustard, so I plan to save the jar and try to recreate it.)

Although I have to say that the cut up, rolled in panko, deep fried leftovers that Alton Brown made on his show have me re-thinking the bechamel/custard baked-in-the-oven style, just so I could do that with the leftovers.

I use a three cheese combination: a bit of 3 year Shelbourne Farms unpasteurized white cheddar, a milder canadian cheddar, and some parm regg. The Shelbourne Farms give the cheese an extra depth of flavor that's really fantastic. I also tend to use rigatoni instead of elbow macaroni, because I think it holds the sauce and cheese better.

I've tried a lot of recipes for mac and cheese trying to find one that's delicious but not ordinary....I think Martha's is excellent! But my very very favorite is one called Macaroni and Cheese with Prosciutto and Taleggio that was in Bon Appetit's How America Eats issue in March of 2002....I'd be happy to send the recipe to anyone who can't find the magazine, since I looked for it over at epicurious and it's not there, unfortunately. I only use half the amount of prosciutto and the cheese, but it's by far the best mac and cheese I"ve ever tasted.

Edited to add: it also used optional truffles and white truffle oil....oh man, I think I'm gonna have to make some this weekend

When going for my standard I like to use a combo of Monty Jack and very sharp cheddar, good bit of the sharp on top. Baked until crusty all around. (My mr will fight me for the crust. ) Half and half or evap milk, both are good, red pepper or black.

But my new favorite variation on the theme is an old German/PA Dutch standard -- German Noodle Ring. Swiss cheese with egg noodles. Bechamel sauce, with tons of Swiss melted in, sometimes a little caraway seed, sauce poured over noodles in a ring or bundt pan (I have a ceramic bundt that is killer for this) baked until solid and crusty around the edges. Then the other half of the sauce is ladled over the unmolded ring. Arranged in the center -- (seared, I prefer adds something to dish) asparagus or other green veg like broccoli spears (peas are also suggested in original recipe, but I haven't tried those).

One woman very courteously approached me in a grocery store, saying, "Excuse me, but I must ask why you've brought your dog into the store." I told her that Grace is a service dog.... "Excuse me, but you told me that your dog is allowed in the store because she's a service dog. Is she Army or Navy?" Terry Thistlewaite

I'm going to make one of my favorite Mac and Cheese recipes tonight, Greek Pastitio or Pastitsio and was wondering what other's favorite recipes were?

Edit: unsure on spelling

I just made pastitsio last week and used my favorite recipe (halved) by James Beard, from his book Beard on Pasta. Well, it's the only recipe for this dish I've ever used, because it's so good I've found no reason to stray.

For American Mac and Cheese, I like the microwave version from Barbara Kafka's Microwave Gourmet. The sauce is ready before the pasta (Barilla elbows, with the ridges) is cooked. It's homemade, easy and so good.

I was almost permanently scarred by a bad run-in with the old-school, blue box Mac n'Cheese during my childhood, and have never touched the stuff since. When I saw this thread, I instantly thought of how much my husband would appreciate a big, heaping bowl of the homemade stuff, especially after a long day spent working hard in the chilly Autumnal air.

I used little miss foodie's suggestion of Martha Stewart's recipe. So easy. So, so good! I especially loved the little crispy bits of browned breadcrumbs on top... next time, I may add a little crumbled bacon to that top layer.

I was almost permanently scarred by a bad run-in with the old-school, blue box Mac n'Cheese during my childhood, and have never touched the stuff since. When I saw this thread, I instantly thought of how much my husband would appreciate a big, heaping bowl of the homemade stuff, especially after a long day spent working hard in the chilly Autumnal air.

I used little miss foodie's suggestion of Martha Stewart's recipe. So easy. So, so good! I especially loved the little crispy bits of browned breadcrumbs on top... next time, I may add a little crumbled bacon to that top layer.

Excellent thread.

s'kat, this was also the first mac n cheese I made since a childhood run in also! Martha to the resue! haha!

Just mentioned it on another thread, but the Mac 'n' Cheese in Cooks Illustrated a few months ago is by far the best I've ever tasted -- my wife agrees, and she's a Mac 'n' Cheese fanatic (in the South, M&C is considered a "vegetable").

You basically just make a bechamel, then stir in one pound sharp cheddar and one pound monterey jack until it melts, then add one pound cooked elbow macaroni and some cayenne pepper and seasonings to taste.

It's very convenient, since when I make it I buy the one-pound bags of preshredded Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar from the grocery store. Yeah, not very "eGullet" but it works fine.

Optional are the buttered breadcrumb topping (and subsequent broiling to crisp), parmesan on top, or any sort of truffle flavoring which is the true apotheosis of this dish. I made some last week with about $20 worth of white truffles and it was freaking unbelievable. Sean Brock at Capitol Grille here in Nashville also uses truffles. Yummmm.